The stretch of road between Curry Ford Road and SR 528 on Semoran Blvd near the airport will soon be a place where new food trucks are disallowed from setting up shop due to a new ordinance passed by Orlando City Council on Monday. Not only does this affect food trucks (mobile food vending), but the following business as well:
- Labor pools and labor halls
- Any business in which a material part of its services includes loans secured by car title loans
- Check cashing/payday loans
- Tattoo, body art or piercing
- Pawnshops
- Bail Bond Agencies
- Flea markets (except for those operating in conjunction with non-profit functions)
- Bottle Clubs
The food trucks and other business in this list that are currently there will be allowed to stay. During the Orlando City Council meeting on Monday, Jim Grey (Commissioner District 1) said "This is not an attempt for us to try to ask existing businesses to leave. It's an attempt to restrict additional businesses from coming in..." He went on to say that the same overlay restrictions are in place on Conway to the West, from Curry Ford the Beachline. "We're trying to restrict the expansion of business that don't reflect appropriately on the city."
Tony Ortiz (Commissioner District 2) agreed. "We're not trying to get anybody out. All we want to do is diversify."
Why this specific strip of Semoran?
According to the Semoran Gateway Special Plan, it "is an important gateway into Orlando for its residents for many visitors new to our region. It is the first commercial district these visitors see as they enter our city. For this reason, the improvement of the Semoran Gateway is important not just to the businesses and residents of the area, but to our region as a whole. The first impression created by Semoran Boulevard is just as important as the impression created by Orlando’s theme parks and destinations like Downtown and UCF."
Tony Ortiz (Commissioner District 2) said "Everybody knows that area there is the main gate to the city from the airport." (Source, Source)